“Once again, Republicans have pursued confrontation over compromise. By rejecting a bill on which there was clear agreement that extended middle class tax cuts, Republicans snatched delay from the jaws of victory. The President supports extending middle class tax cuts, and the Senate has passed it. We all agree that we want to make sure middle class families do not see a tax increase next year. But Republicans want to hold the middle class tax cuts hostage to additional tax cuts for the wealthy.

“We are facing two main challenges in America: jobs, which is why it’s important that we don’t let working class families see a tax increase, and reducing the deficit. We could have addressed both of those challenges by passing the Senate bill. Unfortunately, Republicans instead continued on the path of rejecting compromise, as they did on a long-term highway bill, a five-year farm bill, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, and last summer on an FAA extension, which caused a brief shutdown.

“Our business is to give middle class Americans confidence that they won’t see a tax increase. That’s what the Senate did, that’s what the President supports. What a shame that the House did not act as well.”